Diversity consultant Jacob H. Herring, President and CEO of Creative Culture Changes, LLC, argues that the diversity “movement” has been growing, not only in numbers, but, in intensity. He indeed warns:

Who knows what the next Bill Gates will look like. Such a person may not look at all like the current Mr. Gates: e.g., that person maybe an immigrant woman of color.

Mr. Herring issues this challenge:

Do you trust that your partners are aware enough of their own feelings and prejudices to: 1. Keep you and the firm out of trouble (e.g., avoid a discrimination suit at worst, or not lose an important business opportunity, at best) 2. Maximize business opportunities (e.g., spot talent and business potential of people different from themselves who haven’t, yet, actualized their full potential).

PunchLine: Mr. Herring is precisely correct and those firms who don’t pay some attention to their diversity will be the truly disadvantaged ones. Read the full article at PM Forum USA: Recruiting and Marketing Effectively with a Diverse Workforce